Raspberry Jam

My grandpa has the most amazing backyard.  I don't know why I call it "Grandpa's Backyard" because it belongs to Grandma too, but I guess I always imagine him working out there, trimming, watering, picking fruit, falling out of the big cherry tree, falling of the back porch roof....Haha, I don't know how he has survived back there, but he has.  

Grandpa is 88 this year.

And the backyard is so beautiful. It's quiet, and peaceful.  Shady in the right places and sunny where you want it.  And what I love most about it is that it's like walking through Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, except with fruit!  Everywhere you walk around his yard, there is some sort of fruit tree or bush or vine in front of you with something ready to be picked and popped right into your mouth.  Don't wash it, that ruins the texture.  Plus, you don't have time; Grandpa's going to walk around the corner and catch you any second!  I've been busted and scolded many times for eating things without asking...But how can I help myself?!  He has an apple tree, three (maybe four?) plum trees, three types of cherries (tart little pie cherries, and one tree that has black and Rainier cherry trees fused together!), blueberries, there used to be grapes (I don't think they're there anymore?) and the best of all, the Queen Mother of Grandpa's Backyard, his pride and joy: the raspberries.

On Father's Day last month, much of the Brooks' side of the family, down through great-grandchildren, were over at Grandma and Grandpa's to visit and celebrate all of the dads.  It poured rain.  But guess where we were, bundled up under tarps and tents, happy as can be?  The smallest grandchildren running through "The Secret Pathway" that leads behind the flowerbeds along the fence, asking to be picked up so they can reach that one plump red raspberry, and finding perfectly good cherries that had fallen to the ground and had miraculously been spared being eaten by birds or worms.  Cousin Logan, who is now a father of 5, found a small rickety ladder, stood on the very top rung, and risked death to fill his pockets with cherries and then placed them on the table for everyone to have one.

No one was scolded that day.

There are two promises that are kept every year: Grandpa's raspberry jam and Grandpa's raspberry pie.  Grandma loves to tell everyone that she taught him how to make raspberry jam, but he completely took it over and now he gets all of the credit.  I'm smiling just thinking about them while I type this.

And after all of that, I'm not even going to give you Grandpa's Raspberry Jam recipe.  With all of that history behind it, you had to have guessed that it's a secret...

But I did find something pretty close.  Something that gives me that warm fuzzy feeling and that I could also sit and eat with a spoon.  And it happens to only have three ingredients (four, if you choose) and is a nice, clean recipe.  You're welcome.

Clean Raspberry Jam

2 cups fresh raspberries

1 cup blueberries (or just another cup of raspberries)

1/2 cup honey

2 tbs. lemon juice (adjust to desired level of tartness)

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat.  Place berries into pan and stir until warmed and they begin to burst.  Add honey and lemon juice.  Stir until everything has broken down into a well-combined mixture and the mixture has begun to simmer.  

Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Let cool and then pour into a jar.  

Don't forget to try some right away, while it is still warm, on a piece of buttered toast. ;)

Square One: What Is Clean Eating?

I am a firm believer that You Are What You Eat.  This saying has become somewhat of a joke, however, we all know that when we eat junk, we feel like junk, and when we eat well we feel well!  So what's the hold up?! Why do we continually find ourselves grabbing quick snacks, sugary treats, and greasy hamburgers? Because we are turning into...Zombies!

When we are hungry, tired, upset or bored, we tend to go into Zombie mode.  We stop thinking about what we can do to to solve the problem in the long-run and just find a quick fix.  It's like we're out of our minds for a moment!  And unfortunately, those zombie foods that we tend to choose end up causing us to feel even MORE like a zombie (tired, hungry, upset, etc.) and the vicious cycle continues!

But I have found the zombie antidote.  And you will be happy to know that it doesn't involve cutting off your head. :)

It's WHOLE FOODS!  Not the grocery store, although they have plenty of good stuff there, but I'm talking fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, nuts, seeds.... Single ingredients that come from the Earth and are meant to be eaten, not created in a zombie lab and then fed to you via flashy commercials or cheap prices.

Clean eating is all about whole foods and nourishing your body.  It really is simple if you can pull your head out of zombie mode long enough to whip something up with your whole ingredients (and the cool things is that some of them don't have to be made into anything! Fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds can often be eaten as they are!).

Here are a few simple rules for eating clean:

#1. FOOD IS FUEL-
   This is the most important thing to remember.  When you eat, you are energizing your body.  Your body needs protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and yes, fat.  And it needs a good combination of all of those things, not loading up on one and completely avoiding another (I'm looking at you, Fad Diets).  When your body is lacking something, it will retain some things (water, fat, etc.) and overuse other things to try to compensate.  Be sure that you are choosing to eat things that your body can USE and that you are getting a good variety of foods.

#2. Check the labels- 
   Here's a task for you: Go find your favorite packaged snack or meal and check out the list of ingredients.  THEN, pick one that you don't recognize and Google it.  What the heck is it?  You might be surprised to find out where some of those ingredients came from, what else they are used in, or what the effects can be on your body.  If you do not recognize the names of some of the ingredients in your food, it is probably not a clean food.  But here's the cool thing: how many ingredients are in a banana?  ONE.  A BANANA. BOOM. DONE.   That was easy.  Clean eating is all about knowing what's in your food.  If you don't know what it is, don't eat it!  If you can make it at home, you are better off buying a few extra items and making it yourself (you'll probably end up with more than the packaged stuff gives you anyway, AND I guarantee it will taste better).

#3. It's YOUR body, learn to listen to it- 
   All in all, clean eating is personal and totally up to you.  Some people consider cheese and dairy products unclean.  Some people won't eat anything that's not organic.  Those are your decisions to make.  All you need to do is give your body proper nutrition from natural foods that come from the earth, and then just wait and listen.  If you are properly fed, you will be able to understand what it wants on a regular basis.  Trust me when I say that after eating clean for even 2 to 3 weeks, you will begin to stop craving fast food, junk food and processed food.  Not only that, but when you DO eat that Zombie stuff (because you will..."One won't kill me," we think to ourselves), you will NOT feel well later on.  It's that zombie antidote taking effect... ;)

I am in love with food and teaching people about eating clean.  I encourage you to try eating clean for a couple of weeks and see how it goes.  And if you are looking for support, email me about joining my online Dreamlife Fitness group where we work on health and fitness goals all the time!  Please comment if you have any questions!

Coupon Research

So I'm doing a little coupon research today and am stumbling upon some pretty neat stuff!  I'm not exactly a coupon Rainman, and at this point I don't plan on spending every weekend matching coupons to the sales and then driving to 4 different stores just to get a week's worth of groceries.  I'm just not.  Yes, I want to save money, but TIME is money and so is gas.  So lets make it simple, shall we?

Fred Meyer (Kroger for folks not in the PNW) is less than a mile from my house, and they have an amazing selection of organic foods and products.  I prefer to shop there for both of those reasons.  I just discovered that I can go on to their website or app and download manufacturers coupons onto my rewards card!  I may be late to the game on this one, but what an easy way to save a couple of bucks at the store that I shop at the most!

And the next newest and awesomest discovery is a neat little site/app called Checkout 51.  I'm not exactly sure what the catch is yet, because it definitely seems too good to be true.  Basically each week they provide a short list of items, many of which are generic no-name products (like bananas or milk of any brand).  You go grocery shopping and buy any of the items off of that week's list.  When you get home, you take a picture of your receipt, submit it, and earn cash back for the items that you purchased.  Once you earn $20, they send you a check.  !!!  I know, right?!  Definitely trying this one out.

Do you guys know of any easy-to-use coupon sites/apps or ideas that work for you?  I don't get a newspaper and don't receive many manufacturers coupons in the mail.  And my printer is a pain in the patooty and never wants to print (plus the cost of printer ink pretty much cancels out whatever the coupon is worth...) so I don't print coupons anymore.  I'll keep researching, but am also open to hear what you guys use!

- B♥